kengr

The Internet began as ARPANET in the 60s.

http://www.dei.isep.ipp.pt/docs/arpa--2.html
They were still working on the protocols ARPANET would use in December of 1969.

The first BBS's were on mainframes in the 70s; I ought to know, as I was ON some of those.

Having used computers back then, I know that a few of the timesharing systems were capable of something like that (and in fact, in the summer of 1981, someone set one up on a system that was going to be decommissioned in September), but this is the first I've heard of such being done that far back. And as I recall, it took so weird kludges on the system in question due to userr/directory rights issues.

"The world's first BBS" is considered to be Randy Suess' CBBS in Chicago.